Germany Selects Noah Atubolu for Senior Team, Dashing Nigeria’s Aspirations

Atubolu, 23, is a German-born player with Nigerian heritage and has been on Nigeria’s radar due to his strong performances in the Bundesliga. He has proven himself essential for Freiburg over the past two seasons, earning praise for his composure and excellent reflexes.

Although he has Nigerian roots, Atubolu has represented Germany at youth levels. The Nigeria Football Federation (NFF) had been considering ways to encourage him to switch allegiances, as the Super Eagles struggle with their goalkeeping options.

However, those efforts may now be in vain. The German Football Association (DFB) confirmed that Atubolu has been added to Julian Nagelsmann’s senior squad after Hoffenheim goalkeeper Oliver Baumann withdrew due to illness.

Although Atubolu was not in the initial squad, he now has the chance to train and potentially play for the national team.

According to FIFA rules, Atubolu can still represent Nigeria since he has only played for Germany’s youth teams. However, this option will close if he makes an appearance in a senior competitive match.

If he plays for Germany, Nigeria would lose a highly promising goalkeeper who could have provided much-needed stability to their squad.